alcoholiday

sadly, mustangs promote more of a "mullet" image too.

not quite as bad as camaros though.

Brycer79swoman

MUSTANG...uh i mean Mazda *laffs* i'm just a mustang girly and a mazda girly...GET BOTH!

fossil boy

go for it, man....
Get the 'stang AND the mullet!!!
Crank up "Frankie Goes to Hollywood", too!

Seriously, though, it's basically a one-owner, low mileage(kilometer-age?) car - that's quite an unusual opportunity. Get the 'stang, send us some beer!

onehawaiian

my brother has a 92 notchback 5.0 and we just put in some new e-design's 10" subs. sounds good and is a "tuff" car.

holy crap that's a fast ride. good ol american muscle.

carguycw

Actually, that depends. An 89-93 5-speed notchback with minimal options actually weighs less than 3000 lbs (actually ~2950 lbs) which is the reason why a clean notch is worth a lot more money than a hatch, convertible or GT. However, the hatches weigh about 150 lbs more, the convertibles another 200 lbs on top of that, and by the time you add options (convertibles generally have lots) you've got a 3400-3500 lb car.

A Maxima probably won't pull on a 5-speed notch 5.0- they are capable of a 14.3-14.8 sec. 1/4 mile, and I haven't seen a stock Maxima pull that kind of time. However, if the 'Stang is a stock convertible automatic (here I go again) it's plenty believable because they are typically *16* second cars.

A guy I knew in college had an automatic LX convertible, and had to buy Flowmasters, shortys, an off-road H-pipe, an intake, and 3.55 gears to break into the *15's*. He later took all the parts off, sold the car and bought a 5-speed notch. It ran 13.9 with basically the same parts.

OK, I am going to stop talking about Mustangs now.

turbonium959

If you were to spend the same money on either car, why even bother getting a Miata. Keep the stang, it is already in great condition, and it could be a much better toy then a Miata. If I were to choose between a brand new Miata and a Stang, I would take Mazda, but in this specific case, I would choose the Stang.

4 rubBeR

I clipped this from e-pinions :

I love the Limited Edition Model
Feb 17 '02

Author's Product Rating


Reliability: 4/5
Seat Comfort: 5/5
Quality and Craftsmanship: 3/5
Handling And Control: 3/5

Pros
Reliable, fast, and fun!

Cons
Poor gas mileage, bad suspension.

The Bottom Line
Like I said before, if you are lucky enough to run across the Limited Edition Model, buy it!



Full Review


I have owned the 1992 1/2 Limited Edition 5.0 LX Mustang for about a year now and I must say that it still turns heads going down the road! I was lucky enough to run across a model that has very low mileage for the year (only 50,000 miles) and the paint was still in great shape.

The Limited Edition model produced only 2,019 total vehicles. The VIN # will not tell you if you have the LI but it has some definite giveaways. First is the white leather seats with black trim. Second is the Vibrant Red color of the paint with a white convertible top and white wheels. If your car has all these features, then you've come across the LI model!

I recently had my AOD transmission replaced because 2nd gear was completely burnt out. The new transmission is amazing and I feel like I've gained about 25 HP from it! The car has never run smoothly due to Ford's poor design of the suspension system so watch out when you hit those potholes, it will not produce any shock absorption. The car also gets poor gas mileage. I live in the city and rarely get more than 12-15 MPG city driving. Open road on the other hand, I have produced close to 25 MPG. The car also has poor handling in the snow due to the power that the car possesses and the fact that it is real-wheel drive. Even a few times on the rain-slicked roads have I felt a little out-of-control with the vehicle.

After getting past the above mentioned problems, I must say that this car is still my baby and I take great care of it because of the value that it still holds. You've got to expect problems like poor bad-weather handling with any car and just get passed it, because once someone is usually a Mustang fan they will stay one for life. Myself included. If you are lucky enough to run across the LI edition from 1992, pick it up...take care of it...and only 15 more years it will become a classic.


Recommended
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 8000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1992
Model and Options: 5.0 LX Automatic, Air, CD, Power Everything, Convertible

I vote for the 'stang; unique and a chick cruiser


~4 rubBeR

alcoholiday

it's definitely very close to the top 10 in rare mustangs. the last list i saw had the 93 special edition (yellow and white) higher (#8 or 9 i think) on the list due to lower production numbers.

i don't know. i know it's not a great car from a technical standpoint. the miata is clearly a better car.

head says shoot for a miata
heart says grab the old mustang

i don't know. i think once summer comes and i see what's on the market for miatas, i'll have a better idea of what i can get my hands on.

thanks for all the links and info guys. i learned some stuff and i really appreciate the feedback.

thanks

eeterp

A) You can get an additional 145whp out of the miata with a flying miata turbo kit.

B) About 50% of mustang buyers are WOMEN.

C) Get the miata. Get a '94 C package and turbo that F'cker.

alcoholiday

thanks richard. that's great info. the thing i've been told most is shoot for a Mark1A or later to get into the 1.8L. i don't know how vital that necessarily is though. it's not like the 1.6L held you back.

hihoslva

Mustangs are for straight-line power, which is fun, BUT...

A Miata is such an excellent handler - it's so much more of a DRIVER'S car.

And if you're gonna mod it, you can EASILY (well, with money anyway - the parts are there) pump a Miata up to the same power as the Mustang V8 - so you'll be talking about 250+ HP in a car that is probably 1000 lbs lighter, handles better (like there's a comparison?) and will be quite unique due to the increased HP. You should talk to "90&00 Protege" some more - 250 WHEEL hp in a Miata is SICK SICK SICK SICK. Frankly, even the stock 1.6's are peppy little things - after all, the car only weighs 2200 lbs!

Plus - Mazda = reliability. Ford = might have to pay rent for a repair shop

C'mon man - you KNOW you wanna mod a Miata, and leave some 5.0 'stang in your tracks!

~HH

kc5zom

The old 5.0's are great, nothing like American muscle. But they are scary as hell at speed because of the design. Since you are wanting to keep it stock I guess that is something to consider.

And the convertible tops on those things seem to degrade pretty fast. Everyone I knew with a convertible down here had bad leaks. But we get a LOT of sun down here which may be why they are degrading so fast. I'm not really sure how the tops on the Miata hold up, I never knew anyone that owned one until recently (and theirs is new).

I think you should ask yourself what you really want to do:

1. Cruise for chicks - Mustang.
2. Drive fast through the twisties - Miata.

hihoslva

My Miata was a 1993, and I had it up until last year when I bought the P5. The top was still in fine shape - though it needed a window (the plastic kind). Eventually the sun and weather will get to anything, but the top on my Miata lasted a damn long time with NO leaks, and was still going just fine when I sold it.

Plus, there is No hard top available for a Stang convertible - you can pick one up for a Miata and really protect the soft top if you like.

~HH

Sir Nuke

okay....there are a few factors at play here....and should be considered in your decision..

1. you have an EMOTIONAL connection to the stang.... point for the stang.

2. its in mint condition......you don't have to wrench or paint or anything other than maybe a tune up and a good detail job and you are ready to cruise and play.....point for the stang.

3. its a RARE edition of the car....potential for collectors paying through the nose for it later IF you would ever consider selling it. Point for the stang.

4. its very low mileage....another point for the stang.

NOW, the real question is.....do you want a toy that you can just hop in now and go and play.....OR do you want to get a true PROJECT car that you can build from the ground up and then run and play.......4 points for the miata.

now your dead even in my calculations.......YOU just need to put that one last deciding point into which ever stack it goes in to topple the scale.